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Tuesday, April 4, 2017

The Simplest Way to Change the World

The Simplest Way to Change the World *****by Dustin Willis and Brandon Clements

Overview: Hospitality is a lost art. This book is divided into two sections: the Potential and the Plan. The potential is the argument behind why we should pursue hospitality. The authors talk about some values we have in our society now that fight against hospitality such as the idea that our homes are our own private retreats or that we are just too busy for other people.

The Plan section was fun to read because it is full of ideas on how to become more hospitable. The authors begin with how to meet your neighbors and continue all the way to fun, neighborhood ideas such as serving free coffee in your driveway one morning a week or BBQing in your front yard instead of out back.

They share encouraging and challenging stories of the blessings (and hardships sometimes) of getting to know their neighbors.

Positive elements: short, organized and to the point, full of stories and examples

Negative elements: A hospitality book written by two men seems kind of funny since it seems that women are usually the force behind organizing and hosting. However, they do mention the team effort needed between husband and wife. They also encourage singles and young adults to pursue hospitality. And I guess it is interesting to see hospitality from a man's perspective.

Conclusion: This is an encouraging book that makes you want to reach out and invite others into your home and life. I loved the simple ideas like having people over on a regular basis for Taco Tuesday or Waffle Wednesday. So far we have done annual or just random gatherings, but we'd like to start some regular gatherings. Lots of good ideas in this book!